Smile
by StormyCloud367
Summary: An overview of the episode Ball of Fire (S3 E8) through the perspective of Red John and his response.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The Mentalist belongs to CBS and was created by Bruno Heller.

Based off the episode Ball of Fire (S3 E8)

Chapter 1: The Abduction

The day started out so well. He had woken up, worked out, and started fixing himself his breakfast. As he worked on slathering butter on his toast, he reached over and turned on the small receiver sitting on the counter. Instantly, voices from the inside of the CBI building flooded his kitchen. There was the voice of Rigsby, the childish oaf, issuing a challenge to his coworkers, so full of confidence in his abilities. Cho, the serious one, accepted the challenge. He could hear the sound of a chaste kiss being softly placed, the pinging of a ball on a table, and finally, the sound of a ball clinking home in what he imagined was a cup. Then he heard them exclaim loudly, excited by the small victory.

Money was presumably passed and Cho was heckled by Van Pelt and Rigsby. He sighed a bit as he took a bite of his toast, tired and unamused by the games. He was waiting for the one person whom he hadn't heard yet and wouldn't be able to tolerate the others until he revealed himself. The chatter continued, petty jealousy from Rigsby as Van Pelt was pulled away (but when wasn't there), Cho straightforwardly taunting him, and then finally the question he was wondering was asked by one of the only agents he considered competent, Agent Lisbon, "Hey, anybody seen Jane?"

The negative answers forced him to heave another sigh as he stood up and started washing his plate. He continued to listen but quickly switched over to the bug hidden in Lisbon's office as he heard her distinctive footsteps head that way. He heard her enter the office, sit in her chair, and start to dial a phone number, presumably Jane's. After a moment, she started talking and he placed the now clean dish into its proper cabinet. From what he could gather, Jane seemed to be buying fruit from somewhere based on Lisbon requesting a red delicious. He assumed it was the same stand Jane likes to frequent with Roberto so at least he had an idea of where he was, although he wasn't pleased that today was off to such as slow start for his CBI consultant. He liked to hear Jane working, puzzling over clues and cases, glued to the job by curiosity and his thirst for vengeance.

He picked up the receiver and moved to his office, setting it down close by as he started up his desktop. Since the day had started off so dully, he figured he would get to work early and let the noise of the CBI fill the background of his day. Suddenly, he heard Lisbon's phone ring once again. He continued to work but his ears pricked up slightly. He heard her answer and all seemed well until suddenly she stopped in the middle of her greeting. He paused, listening closely, knowing it was rare the spitfire Agent would let anyone cut her off. She started speaking again, calling Jane's name and asking him to tell her what was happening. As she talked, he could hear her voice steadily getting more urgent and the sound of her rapidly leaving her chair, gathering what he could only assume was her gun and badge, and hustling through the door.

Turning, he quickly switched back over the feed from the bullpen as she rounded up her agents and told them that Jane was in trouble. She kept periodically checking into the phone to see if Jane was still there but finally, he heard a soft "Damnit" from her and the click of a phone snapping closed. He quickly snatched up his phone, sending a text through to someone he knew would be assisting Lisbon and her team at the incoming crime scene and waited, needing to know what had happened. The feed eventually went relatively quiet, the majority of the occupants of the room having left. The steady hum of an office at work still occurred and he left the feed on to make sure he didn't miss anything.

Though he couldn't say he was worried, he did not like being out of control and without information. He painstakingly turned back to his computer and resumed his work but his pace was sluggish and his mind was focused mostly on the live feed and his phone, waiting for the response. Finally, a soft ping emitted from the device and he reached out and grabbed it, flipping it open. Inside, there was a short message: Jane was abducted from the fruit stand. No sign of him yet but two witnesses described the car and the shooter. Car was said to be a brown sedan with Arizona plates going north. They are calling in the FBI and issuing roadblocks but no other news. I'll keep you updated.

His knuckles turned white as he grasped the phone, his eyes skimming the message again and again while his back stiffened. All he felt was rage, bubbling inside his belly and spilling over like acid onto his tongue. Jane was HIS. Over the last few years, he had been continually poked and prodded. People imitating his work and making a mockery of his name. People playing with HIS Jane and pulling his attention away from the one person it should be focused on at all times. He was HIS playmate, HIS toy, and HIS property. He didn't mind Jane toying with others but the only one he should be consumed by was himself.

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Authors Notes

Hello, this is my first story so I hope I did everything correctly in regards to uploading and labeling. Hopefully it's alright, but I know I'm not an experienced writer so please excuse any mistakes I may have made. Even though I first watched the Mentalist years ago, I recently started watching it again since it's avaliable on Amazon Prime. Going back through the first few seasons made me really happy. I always loved learning about abnormal psychology and the ebb and flow between good and bad characters and so I decided that I wanted to contribute to the fandom. I don't think this story will be too long, maybe just a few chapters. I'm not sure if anyone is ever going to read this story or my notes but I'm trying to work on my writing abilities and I figured one of my all time favorite shows was a good place to start. Thank you and hopefully someone will enjoy this story!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The Mentalist belongs to CBS and was created by Bruno Heller.

Chapter 2: The Wait

The next few hours passed slowly. There was nothing more he could do. The disciples who could be of use to him had already been dispatched, each issuing a solemn promise to do everything in their power to bring his consultant home. Though it went unsaid, every person knew what the consequences would be if they failed in their mission. However, they loved their leader and would gladly accept death over disappointing him. Some loved him as a dear friend, a warm ember kept within their heart at the thought of him. Some viewed him as a lover even if he had never touched them, the intimacy of his gaze and the primal nature of his personality a touch all its own. Yet, the majority of his followers worshipped him as a god, the powerful mystique of his personality and his intensity seeming otherworldly.

He stood slowly and deliberately, what should have been a fluid action becoming a series of small movements rapidly going into motion. He was a powerful man and he did not achieve his acclaim and influence from being needlessly impatient. He took in calm, measured breaths, knowing the best way to calm his mind was to make himself a cup of tea. He headed towards the kitchen, starting the very familiar process. He chose his favorite blend, Earl Grey with strawberry black leaves, a Rooibos base, and a hint of lapsang souchong. The flavor of this mix always reminded him of Jane, smooth and playful but each sip had a small bite. To bring the image together, he chose his worn blue teacup, the color reminding him of a certain vest.

He moved back towards his office, teacup in hand. Taking a seat in his chair he calmly checked his phone and the feed and upon noticing that nothing had changed, he began to sip his tea. On his desktop, he had opened several tabs, each dedicated to a different news outlet. So far, nothing pertinent to Jane's disappearance had been reported, only ridiculous rumors about a CBI agent potentially being killed. Though he may not know where Jane was being kept, he knew the man was alive. If the shooter had wanted Jane dead, he would have shot him at the fruit stand. Jane was an open target and anyone that knew of him was aware that he did not carry a gun. Instead, even though shots had been fired, Jane had been abducted. That meant he was taken for a specific reason.

There were only a few reasons someone would snatch Jane. The first reason would be as a ransom. This option didn't make a lot of sense. Jane didn't have a family anymore, he had ensured that and though someone may try to use Jane as a hostage against the CBI for knowledge, leverage, money, or power, most would know that none of the major law enforcement agencies would allow one man to become a major weakness to their organization.

The second option was that they needed Jane for his talents. Some sort of situation wherein someone of a less than reputable line of work needed a mystery solved or object found and wouldn't take no for an answer. This also seemed unlikely as most criminals had access to resources and associates and therefore would not have executed such a sloppy abduction in the first place. Jane was mostly alone when he wasn't working, unarmed, and could be found in either a motel room or an empty house haunted by memories. There was no reason to take him from a fruit stand when it wasn't something preplanned on Jane's part, just a stop he decided to take before heading to work.

That left two additional options. The kidnapper could want to play with Jane as he liked to do or they took him to cause his consultant pain. Jane was the most fun to play with mentally through tricks and games so that seemed unlikely. However, the last option had merit. Jane had created a lot of enemies with his deceptive and intrusive behavior. While amusing to him, it was not something most people enjoyed and they resented being outwitted so spectacularly. If that is the case, he was most likely being tortured right this very minute, someone taking out their frustration on him. Someone touching the man, causing him to scream. Wanting him to feel humiliated just as they did. Wanting him to beg for mercy, mercy that Jane did not give them as he ripped the lives they were living away from them. But didn't they know? Didn't they know that Jane was his? He smashed his teacup.

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Authors Notes

Hello everyone! I'm sorry this chapter is so short, I was having a hard time writing it but I think I like how it turned out or at least it's a lot better than how it started. To everyone that reviewed, thank you! I didn't expect anything so it was really nice getting some feedback!

To LouiseKurylo: Yes, you make an excellent point! I got the idea for the bugs from an earlier episode and since I like to think of Jane and Red John as two sides of the same coin, it seemed perfectly natural to have RJ use the bugs like it was a normal, everyday activity just like how Jane used a bug to spy on Bosco with no real concern for violating his privacy. In RJ's mind, Jane is his so it makes perfect sense to listen and watch him every moment of the day as much as he can. I know that the team should now be cautious of any bugs being around the office, but in this story I want RJ to be even more powerful than they portrayed in the show. It's very concerning to think about a serial killer being able to orchestrate killings inside of the CBI headquarters and infiltrate the FBI and I want to show that power. Maybe whoever is assigned to check for bugs works for RJ, maybe they sweep the offices once a week but he has a follower that gathers them up for the day and then puts them in different places once they're done? All they really have to do is make sure Jane's things aren't moved so he doesn't become suspicious.

Lastly, I am not a tea drinker so I hope I described the tea correctly. I was trying to look up Jane's favorite tea and I actually found that someone had made a tea that's supposed to be "his" flavor? Here's the link if anyone is interested: signature_ ?blend=42486


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: The Mentalist belongs to CBS and was created by Bruno Heller.

Chapter 3: The Hunt

After a moment of tense, stifled inaction, he reached down to start collecting the shards of his cup. A sudden, sharp _ding_ finally came through the line and he immediately stilled, each limb vibrating with a condensed intensity that was straining for release. The voice of Lisbon immediately issued forth as she presumably exited the elevator, her bulldogged determination combined with her quick, stomping steps pleased him. She seemed to be taking this seriously and he had faith that she would do everything in her power to get Jane back where he belonged.

He listened closely as she issued orders and exchanged words, first with Van Pelt and then Brenda Shettrick, the CBI's media relations liaison. Nothing new was revealed and his frustration mounted. Most of these people were useless **insects**, but he still had hope. He knew O'Laughlin had to be close by, the man had contacted him earlier on in the day to confirm that he was the FBI agent assigned to the case.

Lisbon entered her team's designated area and he flicked his receiver to the corresponding room. O'Laughlin finally made his appearance along with Hightower, the three agents, at last, attempting to get to the heart of Jane's kidnapping. As he knew he would, O'Laughlin immediately brought his name into it, questioning the possibility of his involvement. This was the best way to keep O'Laughlin in the clear. The FBI agent couldn't tiptoe around the serial killer, he had to be willing to discuss him.

It made perfect sense from an outsider's perspective. The victim, in this case, had a long relationship with a notorious murder, each seemingly obsessed with the other. To not consider his involvement would be suspicious, but he still sneered, his left canine flashing in the light. Never would he be so heinously sloppy, especially with his prized possession. It was an insult to him no matter how much he knew O'Laughlin needed to issue it.

His pride was assuaged, however, as Lisbon quickly discounted him. He was gratified that she at least knew enough about him to know this was beneath him. Though, one thing she did say caught his attention, "Yeah, well, he takes him a second time I don't think he's coming back." He paused to think, keeping a portion of his attention on the distant conversation.

Hmm, that was an interesting concept and something he would have to think about. He liked his playmate moving around in an incorporeal cage of his devising. He wouldn't lock him away, that would be no fun. Part of Jane's charm was his showmanship. He needed to have room to move, to breathe. When he was truly performing, the air vibrated around him, the reality around Jane ready to bend for him on a whim. Yet, he wasn't opposed to taking him for a short time. He needed less than a day to traumatize his consultant, further burying his essence into Jane's mind and soul until all the man could think of was him.

He refocused his attention on the agents when Brenda reappeared, her priority as always, was appearances. His hands clenched slightly, the skin pulled taut over his knuckles. These so-called professionals were bumbling around, they were only just now discussing the possible motives for Jane's abduction when he had narrowed them down hours ago! His fingers twitched, each digit tense with the slavering violence stirring within them. He wanted to show these people, to make them **see. **

He wished he could be there in that very room and in that moment. He would line them up, each tied down and powerless before him. He would gently, but firmly cradle their chins in his hand, craning their heads up just right. Then he would place his knife delicately against the outside corner of their eye, it didn't matter who went first. One by one, taking his time slicing slowly from one corner to the other until the eyelid obstructing their vision was there no more. Maybe then, they would finally be worth something.

They made their final decisions and sent Brenda on her way, the woman finally satisfied with her upcoming time in front of the cameras. He made a careful note of their footsteps, tracking each to their locations. Lisbon, Hightower, and O'Laughlin each entered Lisbon's office although at different times. Once all together, they started to speculate which of the many parties would want to harm Jane in this way. Once narrowed down, Lisbon exited the office and entered the bullpen, back in her element.

"I think someone Jane put away is getting back at him. Maybe they've been released, maybe they're reaching out from prison whichever it is we need to go through every case Jane has worked on since he came to the CBI. Van Pelt start digging. Whoever did this has probably been unhappy a long time."

Finally. The hunt could begin.

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Authors Notes

Alright, I hope you guys like Chapter 3! I've been thinking about how I want this story to end and I think it may be a little darker than anticipated. Just a warning beforehand. Nothing too bad, but Red John is a serial killer and someone messed with his Jane!


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